Latest Changes In The NWS Weather Alert Simplification Process - Dangerous Heat Alerts

The National Weather Service has been working tirelessly to simplify and optimize the way hazards are communicated to the public. The current system of watches, warnings, advisories, and statements can, understandably, be confusing and easily misinterpreted.

With that said, the NWS has announced its latest changes to a few "temperature products" that went into effect on March 4th, 2025.

Simplification of Weather Alerts Related To Life/Safety/Infrastructure Impacts Due To Dangerous Heat:

To better align with the products related to dangerous cold, the following changes will be made for alerts related to dangerous heat.

• Excessive Heat Watches have been renamed and will now simply be known as Extreme Heat Watches, again, to better align with their cold-weather counterpart, Extreme Cold Watches.

  • This newly renamed watch will be issued when temperatures and/or heat indices COULD reach 105°F or higher in the next 12 to 48 hours.

• Excessive Heat Warnings have been renamed and will now simply be known as Extreme Heat Warnings, again, to better align with their cold-weather counterpart, Extreme Cold Warnings

  • This newly renamed warning will be issued when temperatures and/or heat indices WILL reach 105°F or higher in the next 12 to 48 hours.

• No changes have been made to Heat Advisories. These are still issued when temperatures and/or heat indices COULD reach 100°F or higher in the next 12 to 24 hours.

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A Reminder About The Simplification of Weather Alerts Related To Potential Agricultural Resources Due To Unseasonably Cold Temperatures:

On October 1st we published an article that outlined changes made to the products that focus on the protection of tender agricultural resources in the early and later parts of the growing season. We'll post those changes here, as well as link the full article for your review here.

• Hard Freeze Watches and Freeze Watches will be consolidated and will now simply be known as Freeze Watches.

  • This new type of watch will be issued during the growing season when there is a potential for widespread freezing temperatures in a large area or when isolated freezing temperatures may reach as low as 28°F within the next 24–36 hours.

• Hard Freeze Warnings and Freeze Warnings will be consolidated and will now simply be known as Freeze Warnings.

  • This new type of warning will be issued during the growing season when temperatures will drop below freezing over a widespread area or when isolated freezing temperatures will drop below 28°F within the next 12 hours.

  
  

• Frost Advisories remain unchanged.

  • Frost Advisories are issued during the growing season when temperatures are expected to drop between 33°F-38°F and other weather conditions are favorable for the development of frost on vegetation and agricultural resources.

Link To Full Article From Oct. 1st: https://www.westmichiganweather.net/post/new-national-weather-service-product-optimizations